1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to storage cases for hearing aids. More particularly, this invention is directed to storage cases which are employed by the hearing aid users when the hearing aids are not being used, i.e., when the hearing aids are removed from the users' ears.
2. Description of Related Art
Hearing aids are generally used by people whose hearing is impaired. By using a hearing aid, the user is able to hear sounds which otherwise would not be heard. A popular hearing aid is a miniaturized ear insertion device that contains a microphone, an amplifying circuit and a loud speaker. These hearing aids are usually provided with a rotary switch that provides for volume (gain) control. Usually, the rotary switch can be rotated to an off position.
A hearing aid user frequently removes the hearing aid from his or her ear for various reasons, including to sleep. In many of these instances, the user wants to turn off the hearing aid to conserve battery power, but inadvertently increases the volume control to maximum volume instead (e.g., by rotating the volume control knob in the wrong direction). In other instances, the user simply forgets to turn off the hearing aid upon removal.
When a hearing aid is “on” and set on an acoustically reflective surface such as a nightstand, the loud speaker may become acoustically coupled to the microphone due to inherent “noise” in the hearing aid, which may create an oscillating phenomenon with an acoustic output. This oscillating phenomenon dissipates battery energy as acoustical energy. Because the user's hearing is impaired, the user does not hear this oscillating phenomenon. This results in the battery of the hearing aid being prematurely and unnecessarily drained, thereby shortening the battery life.
Hearing aid storage cases are known which automatically turn off hearing aids when the hearing aids are properly aligned in the cases. However, many users find the proper alignment of the hearing aids in these storage cases to be inconvenient and difficult, and these cases do not work with all brands and models of hearing aids.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an apparatus which signals hearing aid users when they have removed their hearing aids, but have forgotten or inadvertently neglected to turn the hearing aids off. This invention addresses this need, as well as other needs apparent from this disclosure.